Tina Lewis Rowe

Category: Challenging and Problematic People

  • Eating and Drinking At Your Desk? Keep The Noise Down!

    Pay Attention To The Noise You Make While Eating and Drinking. No, That’s Not Being Picky. On the Ask the Workplace Doctors site, a frequent complaint involves coworkers who eat and drink noisily–especially those who do it almost constantly during the workday or shift. We hear about food odors as well as noise.  This summer I’ve heard complaints about…

  • Tolerance Can Be Carried Too Far

    Why do you put up with that?? A supervisor was telling me about an employee who was well known for lying about small issues as well as a larger ones, to the point that the employee wasn’t believed by anyone.  I asked the supervisor if he had ever confronted the employee about it. “Nah. It…

  • Stir Your Own Beans (Mind Your Own Business)

    I was reading an article about the diet of pioneers on their journeys to the West.  It said a party of four was advised to bring: 600 pounds of flour, 400 pounds of bacon, 200 pounds of dried beans, 120 pounds of biscuits (probably the “hardtack” kind, not fluffy ones), 120 pounds of dried fruit,…

  • Warnings Should Include Consequences

    There is a difference between a warning and an admonishment–but many supervisors don’t recognize the difference and fail to warn in a way that prevents a problem in the future. An Admonishment Is Mild But Pointed Advice An admonishment is a brief word of advice, counsel, maybe mild-mannered reproof.  “Becky, you do a great job when…

  • One More Time: Avoid Embarrassing People In CCed Emails

    Think Before You CC This may seem to be my One Tune Topic for the last few months, but it seems that it cannot be emphasized enough. Consider these snippets from emails, all which were copied to several people (some not even part of the organizations involved.) • “If you don’t have the skill to do…

  • Correcting Work Problems With Precision

    Two Big Questions About Performance or Behavior Problems At Work When a supervisor or manager becomes aware of an error in performance or behavior the first two questions to consider are these: 1. What was done wrong?  2. Who did it the wrong way? Before you cringe at those tough questions, consider how crucial they are…

  • Playing Favorites as a Manager

    Who Are The Favorites At Your Work?  President Lyndon Johnson’s comment applies to the way some managers treat employees: “There are no favorites in my office. I treat everyone with the same general inconsideration.” Most other managers have to work at not seeming to favor one or two employees over others. Sometimes there are no favored…

  • Socks And People That Make You Miserable

    You can’t knit people to fit your wants, needs and plans for them–but you don’t have to accept socks that don’t fit well or that make you miserable, either. This could be about accepting people, identifying the challenges of similarities and differences between us and them or just about the fact that we’re all a mixed bag. We aren’t…

  • Is There An Acceptable Excuse For Bad Work?

    Unacceptable  Excuses * “I know I said I’d remove your ruptured appendix today. But, with the holidays and taking some time off and things like that, I’ve been really, really busy. So, it looks like you’re going to need to give me a couple of weeks extension on that job. OK?”  * “Herman felt really bad about not fixing your brakes, what with you having…

  • Stop It.

    What are you doing at work that could get you in trouble?  Someone else at work probably knows. Most people who get caught at work in an unethical action or a violation of a policy, rule or procedure, never thought they would be reported, complained about or found out. They gamble with their reputations, jobs, professional status,…